Influence of liver fibrosis on hepatic artery Doppler resistance index in chronic hepatitis of viral origin

Background: Hepatic arterial Doppler sonography is increasingly being used in liver diagnostics. The determinants of the elevation of hepatic artery i mpedance indexes in chronic liver disease, however, have still not been ful ly clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relations hip between histological alterations and liver circulation in chronic hepat itis. Methods: Hepatic artery resistance index and portal flow velocity wer e measured using Doppler sonography in 47 patients with chronic hepatitis o f viral origin diagnosed at histopathology. The patients were divided into two groups, those with mild and those with severe alterations. in accordanc e with the various histological parameters of the Knodell scoring system. R esults: Hepatic artery resistance index and age were higher in patients wit h more severe liver fibrosis (respectively 0.638 +/- 0.083 and 39.0 +/- 10. 9 (years) in mild fibrosis versus 0.687 +/- 0.060 and 49.4 +/- 14.3 (years) in severe fibrosis, P +/- 0.05 for both), whereas no difference between th e two groups was found for the other histological features (degeneration, i nflammation and necrosis), nor for portal how velocity. Conclusions: The in crease in hepatic artery resistance index appears to be influenced by the e xtent of fibrous tissue deposition in the liver, determined by chronic infl ammation and repair and, secondly, by ageing.